In Time Your Time Will Be No More
by DarkwingFan
Summary: After an epic match at Wrestlemania 27, Triple H and Undertaker contemplate their future and look back on the match that may have changed both their lives for good. Based off the song In Time by Mark Collie


In Time Your Time Will Be No More.

'Oh my gosh, this has been the sixth tombstone on Triple H...Triple H...Triple H...'

'One, two, THREE...The Undertaker did it! The Undertaker did it! The Undertaker did it!...'

'The streak continues! Nineteen and O, Nineteen and O, Nineteen and O...'

The words continued to echo through the mind of Triple H, The Game, The Cerebral Assassin as he sat in his locker room for who knows how long.

Wrestlemania 27 was a Hugh success and has long been over and done with.

He had no acknowledgment as to what time it actually was and quite frankly in that point and time he truly didn't care.

He sat there a changed man.

A man with no soul.

No purpose.

No career.

He was now just a number.

Playing the match over and over in his head, he tried to pin point exactly where he went wrong.

Several times he had Taker beaten.

He had him down on the mat, one, two, three.

Hell, he even used his trusty sledge hammer, nailing Taker right on his back but it still didn't keep the bigger man down.

Running the fingers through his hair, he let out a sigh and contemplated all that has happened throughout his life and everything he had accomplished.

_I can hear what you're thinking_

_All your doubts and fears_

_And if you look in my eyes, In time you'll find the reason I'm here._

_And in time all things shall pass away_

_In time, you may come back some day._

_To live once more, or die once more_

_But in time your time will be no more._

"I've done everything in this business...everything except for one." He muttered to himself. "and that's defeating the Undertaker. If Shawn couldn't do it and I couldn't do it, then who can? Who is willing and able to stand up to the Undertaker and end the streak? Who's powerful enough to step up, be a man and end something so Hugh?"

_You know your days are numbered,_

_You count them one by one_

_Like the notches in the handle of an outlaw's gun._

_You can outrun the devil, if you try,_

_But you'll never outrun the hands of time._

_In time there'll surely, come a day_

_In time all things shall pass away_

_In time you may come back, some say_

_To live once more, or die once more_

_But in time your time will be no more._

"Paul."

Triple H looked up from his deep thoughts.

_I can hear what your thinking._

"Hey Mark. What are you doing here?"

"I was sent here looking for you. I figured you'd still be at the arena. Look..."

"Mark, I don't want to hear about it. Alright? You've proved your point. You won. The streak continues and I just become a number. Like the 18 other men that stood before me... So who sent you?"

"Stephanie."

"Phhhhh, figures! Mark, I'm fine alright. I just need some time to myself right now."

Leaving no room to argue, Mark nodded and left the room as Triple H began packing up his things.

"OH MARK?"

The locker room door flew open once again.

"Yeah Paul?"

"What time is it anyway? I forgot my watch at the hotel."

"Uh...it's five thirty in the morning. You missed the after party and everything. A lot of the superstars asked where you were all night. I figured you went back to your hotel, but it turns out you were here the whole time."

"Yeah, I guess the full reality hasn't hit me yet. But I know deep down it will soon. My career, everything I had done in this business...it doesn't mean anything to me now. Nothing does."

"Now come on Paul, just because you couldn't defeat me..."  
"MARK! I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT. I DON'T...I..." Triple H threw his shirt down on the floor and fell to his knees. "My whole career, I've tried so hard to accomplish everything there is to do and now it means nothing because of one little match."

"THAT'S BULLSHIT PAUL AND YOU KNOW IT. WE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE BEST OF FRIENDS THROUGHOUT OUR CAREERS, BUT WE HAVE GROWN TO RESPECT ONE ANOTHER. JUST BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T BEAT ME DOESN'T MAKE YOU A FUCKING LOSER. I COULD HAVE GIVEN UP MY STREAK FOR YOU IF I WANTED TO LAST NIGHT JUST FOR YOU BUT I DIDN'T. I'M HURT, I'M GETTING OLD. I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I CAN CONTINUE HANDLING THIS RUN AWAY TRAIN THAT I HAVE STARTED. TO MANY OF MY FANS, THIS STREAK MEANS TO WORLD TO THEM. TO VINCE McMAHON, IT'S HIS MEAL TICKET. TO ME I HAVE NO WAY OUT. WHEN YOU SAID THAT I LIVE FOR THE STREAK, IT'S TRUE. I DO. IT'S BASICALLY BECOME THE UNDERTAKER. ALL THINGS I HAVE DONE OTHER THAN THIS STREAK MEANS NOTHING TO ANYONE. THEY ONLY CARE ABOUT ME BECAUSE OF THIS. THEY ONLY CARE BECAUSE OF THE STREAK. I SOMETIMES WISHED I HAD DIED LAST NIGHT INSTEAD OF YOU, SO I CAN JUST GIVE UP."

Triple H was taken back by The Undertaker's sudden outburst, although he has seen Taker's moods on more than one occasions throughout his career.

"I...I can't continue doing this Paul. When they look at the Undertaker, forget about the Funeral Parlors, forget about the epic deadliest matches, forget about the sacrifices I had made throughout the years. It's all about THIS DAMN GOD FORSAKEN STREAK THAT MAY NEVER END!"

"Mark..."

Triple H was speechless as The Undertaker leaned back against the wall.

"I'm at the end of my road. I can't keep doing this streak. I need to find a way out. If I lose, who knows how many fans would stay by my side. If I win, then I'll be called back over and over and over again. Hell I could go twenty and zero next year, declare myself retired only to be called back by Mr. McMahon cause he needs a selling point for his beloved Wrestlemania. Even if I "DIE", I would still be called back. You see where I'm getting at Paul?"

"Yeah, I do."

There was a long pause before Undertaker spoke again.

"You know the old saying, you can take wrestling out of the wrestler but you can't take the wrestler out of wrestling?"

Triple H only nodded. "I think so."

Undertaker let out a sigh and ran his fingers through his black hair.

"I sometimes wonder Paul what my career would have been like if I hadn't started this streak at Wrestlemania. Would I still be here today? Would I still be the icon? The Deadman? The Phenom?"

"Of course you would Mark. You've done a hell of a lot in this business. I've looked up to you. You were a legend even back then when I first entered. It was like you were the big brother to all of us. The man we could turn to when we have a problem, a man we could turn for guidance and wisdom when we needed it. Those things I said on Raw, I meant every word. You're the true reason why I'm here and you're the reason why I had given everything up. I have a wonderful family, a beautiful wife, a hopeful future as the owner of the WWE...I mean someone has to take over when the old geezer calls it quits and I know Vince's time is almost up too. He too is getting old...and I hate to say this but he's losing connection with the younger generation. He just can't keep up anymore. That's basically why I had stood there in that ring on Monday Night Raw and told YOU of all people that IT'S TIME FOR ME TO LEAVE. I need to start learning the true value of this business from the inside walls. I know it all from the outside, but inside Titan Towers, I only know little. What goes on behind the scenes, behind the doors. Tonight I go back out there a changed man..."  
"But not a broken one." Undertaker added in, finishing up Triple H's sentence. "You still have your career. There are just somethings that will never change. At least people will look back at everything you have done and say 'Now there's a man who isn't afraid of anything.' People will look back at my career and just think of the streak."

"Not true Deadman. I'm sure there are a few fans out there who look beyond this streak at everything else you have done and achieved. There's more to a man than just a one night achievement year in and year out. Sure, your streak will indeed be the highlight there's no lying about that but for those who TRULY KNOW THE UNDERTAKER knows there is more to him than just the streak. Look man, I'm glad you didn't just give up, despite your injuries. You put up one hell of a fight I'll give you that much, but if you did just lay down and give it to me, the fans would quickly assume I only defeated the streak because I'm sleeping with Stephanie and that would be bad for business and believe me Deadman, I know business."

"I know, I mean it was bad enough when news first came out that you and Steph were truly an item. You know that she was meant FOR ME, right?"

"Oh you mean that BLACK WEDDING? Oh please! Are you serious? I thought it was annulled?"

"Uh, not really...Paul Bearer did NOT ask from my knowledge and memory that if anyone had any cause why Stephanie and I should not be united in unholy matrimony, please speak now or forever hold their peace. He said 'by the power invested in me by the Lord of Darkness, you may now kiss your bride.' it was official."

Both men chuckled remembering the bad memory.

"Man that was a very bad storyline, but you'll have to admit, I sure came out of nowhere to superstar status around that time." Triple H laughed as he got up off the floor and finished packing.

"Yeah! Well I'm glad some of the guys managed to gain super-stardom by being a part of the Ministry. Although it isn't exactly one of my greatest highlights, even through there are thousands of fans who say they absolutely ADORE the Ministry...why I'll never know. If they only knew exactly what my TRUE feelings were for that era...maybe they wouldn't harp so much about it."

"Hey Deadman, did you bring your car?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Could you give me a ride back to the hotel?"

"Sure!"

As soon as Triple H gathered his stuff, he and Mark headed out of the arena back to the hotel.

"Paul,"

"Yeah Mark?"

"It sure won't be the same without you being in the ring. I mean it's gonna take some getting used to having you in the back barking orders and such."

"Get used to it Deadman. You might find yourself working for me one of these days!"

_In time your time will be no more_


End file.
